The jury in a robbery trial involving a “baby-faced” 15-year-old and a 17-year-old who hid his face with a scarf has been discharged, after the older teen pleaded guilty.

As reported, a 63-year-old man told Teesside Crown Court he thought he’d seen his “last Christmas” after the horrific knife robbery in his warden controlled flat in Grove Hill in the early hours of April 3.

He had previously told the jury of the serious blade injuries inflicted on him by the youths he referred to as “Babyface,” 15, and “Scarf,” 17.

He told how Babyface had a craft knife which he used to cut his face and throat while holding him captive in his own living room.

He also told how after the horrifying attack, he noticed one of his own kitchen knives, bloodied, on the sitting room table and that Scarf must used it to inflict some of the head injuries he suffered, while he was preoccupied with Babyface in front of him.

Babyface, from Middlesbrough, whose real name can’t be disclosed for legal reasons, denied any cutting, but eventually admitted robbery.

Scarf, also from Middlesbrough and who cannot be named, had previously denied robbery and even attempted to blame an innocent third party.

But yesterday, at Teesside Crown Court, he admitted robbery and to telling a “tissue of lies” to save his own skin - but denied using the kitchen knife to join in the cutting of his 63-year-old victim.

The jury in the case was then discharged and it was left for Judge Tony Briggs to hear evidence from Scarf and decide whether he had cut his victim.

He admitted to the robbery and confirmed he must be the man his victim had identified as Scarf because he had covered his face.

He also admitted being involved in stealing a mobile phone, bank card and PIN number, which subsequently resulted in the man’s bank account being emptied of £100.

But he denied threatening another youth with a knife before the robbery, as the court had previously heard.

He also said he did not have a weapon when he went into the victim’s flat.

He denied using the kitchen knife to cut the 63-year-old man.

But after showing him a crime-scene photo of the bloodied knife on the living room table, Robin Turton, prosecuting, questioned how it had ended up there.

He asked Scarf: “Is it a ghost? Is it a magic knife that flies out of the drawer and comes and lands on the table? The only sensible explanation is you involved yourself by getting the knife and cutting him.”

Judge Briggs said: “Looking at the nature of his injuries, considering his account and bearing in mind he recognised the man as Scarf as someone who kept saying “kill him, kill him” it seems perfectly plain that the knife was used as a weapon and was used to inflict the damage on top of his head.”